Economists have a mythical figure called the misery index. It is the total of the unemployment rate added to the inflation rate. This summer in the U.S. it’s running about 13.0. The lower the better. In both the 90’s and ‘0’s it’s been as low as 7. To calculate indexes like this, the conclusion can […]

The 19th annual New Mexico Ag Expo is coming, and with it, well over $100,000 in economic impact. Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Karl Terry said if 50 out-of-town vendors come, a conservative estimate, they would spend a total of $22,000 to $25,000 in town. Figuring that money will change hands six times […]

Liliana Castillo Small individual donations and a few hefty ones helped the Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico match a near $150,000 donation almost two weeks before their deadline. A total of $270,000 will be used to build a large refrigerator and freezer with an attached garage area at the back of the bank’s building […]

By Jared Tucker: PNT staff writer Beginning Thursday, crews from the New Mexico Department of Transportation will begin reconstruction on a four-mile stretch of N.M. 88 between Arch and Portales. Residents in Arch have been pushing for the total reconstruction of N.M. 88 for several years, calling the road’s current condition a safety hazard. Residents […]

PNT Staff Reports A fire has inflicted heavy damage on a double-wide mobile home on Roosevelt Road 6. One occupant received minor injuries. Portales Fire Chief Gary Nuckols said the home, in the Portales Industrial Park area, was a total loss and Red Cross was being called to assist the family. Nuckols said he had […]

Freedom New Mexico As of noon Friday, the Empty Stocking Fund had collected almost $900 more than last season’s drive. Officials said donations thus far total $8,998.91. Last year donations to the fund totaled $8,100.

PNT staff report Firefighters said no one was injured Sunday in a fire that gutted a house on Roosevelt Road U Sunday night. Portales Fire Department Lt. Shannon Lee said firefighters believe the blaze started at a stove in the kitchen. Firefighters arrived at 8:20 p.m., and flames had already reached windows and eaves, he […]

Freedom New Mexico Megan Kabrick played basketball her first two years at Eastern New Mexico University, then sat out her junior season. A bit restless, she tried out for the Zias’ volleyball team in the spring. It was a sport she hadn’t played since 2005, her senior year at Portales High. Kabrick put together perhaps […]

PNT Staff Report A Thursday afternoon fire destroyed a building used to store dry milk at Western Star Dairy near Floyd. No one was injured. Floyd Fire Department Lt. Steven Cain said Thursday night the 40-foot-by-40-foot shop was a total loss. According to Cain: • the cause of the fire was still under investigation. • […]

Two cases of arson in Portales added to the number of arson incidents since Jan. 17 to make a total count of 11. In the newer cases, fire a home garage and a shed at a different residence were damaged by fire. These caught a few blocks away from the sites of the previous nine […]

By Thomas Garcia, PNT Staff Writer Members of the Eastern New Mexico University chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity helped raise $10,000 to support injured military personnel and their families. A total of 120 members from three chapters of the fraternity participated in the three-day, 321-mile run to benefit the national Fisher HouseFoundation. The Fisher […]

Freedom New Mexico At its June 30 meeting in Reno, Nev. The Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board announced it was considering euthanasia as a way to reduce wild horse populations. At a price tag of $21.9 million for holding facilities and total operating costs of $38.8 million, the BLM said it can’t afford to […]

PNT Staff Report Rain showers sprinkled over Roosevelt County on Wednesday, bringing much-needed rain for area farmers as well as for people with allergies. The KENW-TV Broadcast Center at Eastern New Mexico University recorded a little over half an inch of rain by mid-afternoon Wednesday, according to Operations Manager Shannon Hearn. With the month only […]

USAF photo: Greg Allen More than 250 airmen from Cannon Air Force Base teamed with people from throughout the Clovis community to fill nearly 1,200 bags of trash in Saturday’s Great American Cleanup. One area the airmen focused on was U.S. Highway 60/84. By Greg Allen, 27th SOW Public Affairs A total of 252 airmen […]

• Roosevelt County youth Kent Allison of Portales and Dwayne Chenault of Elida, sold their winning livestock in the Junior Livestock Sale at the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque. Allison sold his grand champion market lamb for $13 a pound, for a grand total of $1,209, and Chenault sold his grand champion Duroc barrow […]

Editorial As big and costly as the federal government is, we wouldn’t expect that its travel budget would be a pittance. But last year’s total of more than $14 billion is still a shocker. Perhaps we can take solace in the fact that it’s lower than the 2005 bill by $1.3 billion. But it’s still […]

Freedom Newspapers VERNON, Texas — Senior Stetson Herrera tied for third in bareback riding and junior Cody Heck tied for fourth in steer wrestling, helping Eastern New Mexico University men’s team to a sixth-place finish with 143 1/3 points in last weekends Vernon College Rodeo. Herrera scored 148 points, including 73 in the short-go and […]

Freedom Newspapers Fort Sumner 23, Loving 0 What happened: The Foxes posted their second consecutive shutout, limiting the Falcons to 118 total yards. Why it happened: Fullback Braeden Dimitroff scored on a 6-yard run in the first quarter, while his brother Cass Dimitroff added a 6-yard TD run and a 20-yard field goal in the […]

Editorial An alarming study by the libertarian Cato Institute suggests that a new class is being created in America — a government working elite with special privileges, quickly outpacing the private sector in the salaries and benefits it receives. The study found that average federal government workers’ total compensation — salary and benefits — now […]